QueerRudie

Having logged quite a few spins on the WildCat, ROAR (SFA), Lightning Racer and ROAR (SFDK) my experience is just as SharkTums said: Weather and Maintenece are big influences on these rides.... HOWEVER! Last year (before the MF trains were added) WildCat was one of the best rides for a real throw-you-around, Pop you out and rattle your teeth experience- and I rode the thing three days after opening in 1996. Personally, this nice 'Bat out of Hades' ride was one of the best I've experienced- getting popped clear off my backside and into the side of the train as she slammed me into the final 270 turn towards the brakes was amazing- but then again, I tend to like it a bit rougher. ROAR has for me become a good treat just a few miles from my home. Even if SFA has mutilated Wild One, ROAR still stands out, even 9 years later (at least for me). I found that ROAR (SFDK) was excellent in 2003 (my last major trip to the bay area for coasters) but seemed to lag a bit along the course (the weather was just about as dreadful as I could get on the first day, 60 degrees and windy) but really opened up the next day (75 and sunny!)

There is nothing quite as fine as riding BBW at night during a full moon when fog develops- guaranteed to be one of the best rides anytime, anywhere- and certainly one of the best designed rides of all time. I took a friend on BBW for the first time a year ago- and he screamed like a little girl- I wish I had my camera!

I've often felt like the old DF site at BGW was haunted- but then again, I have such fond memories of Arrow's bastard love child- I often feel a chilling feeling whenever I go past there either on foot or by train. It's an awkward feeling not seeing DF there- but I still get the feeling that it's still around in spirit form...

Has, and always will be, Contemporary Resort- My second Disney trip (back in 1989- summer) was at the CR- and I had beyond a blast there, even if it was under heavy renovation at the time. Being able to go from my room to Space Mountain in less than 20 minutes was a great way to spend a vacation there- but then again, I've always been a child at heart. That and the REALLY REALLY AWFUL decorations circa early 1980's- who could forget orange and purple carpet!

I am quite disappointed in the removal of both rides- especially the Psyclone. While any ride removal is sad, this one is even worse- The loss of a wooden coaster. As for FlashBack- I really liked the design- very unique and although a bit tough on the body, still a fun ride. Perhaps it could use a little love, attention and a good set of Beemer trains to make it a real winner- if it stays intact at another location.

Yet another reason to visit Merry Ol' England this year- I'm beginning to think that the country is becoming the retirement home for Herr Achterbahn's great rides- It is always a good thing to see a great design preserved for all to enjoy into the future. Now if only they could find a nice piece of desert here in the great state of Arizona to retire some- or at least preserve- some of his rides for year-round operation. (I've always wanted to set up a park here- Arizona is quite dry when it comes to coasters beyond Castles n' coasters.)

Easy- Daddy's Beaufitul GIrl- The Loch Ness Monster, BG:TOC/BGW/BGE... Nothing beats a long, winding, cool and funky smelling tunnel like her- still a stunner after all these years...

I had my opportunity to get a very nasty backache from PGA's Grizzly in 2003- I'll never forgive that monster for that much pain... I found the ride basically very plain as a coaster goes; but for me, the jerking back and forth on those godawful seats was more than my back could take. I had a bruise along my shoulders from the backlash- and I'll never forget that one (and I'd done MarineWorld just the preivous day...) Perhaps a retrofit would be in order now that CF holds the park. The ride could be a lot better if they tried- and I'd hope that they would.

It seems to me as of late that the UK is becoming the retirement home to a lot of Herr Achterbahn's good rides- at least if RCDB's listings are accurate- Now I have an excuse to visit the UK again...

IT'S HERE!!!! So, to revive this unique subject- construction has begun. Th kit came today, two plus weeks after shipping (It was back ordered, and the Karakuri people did an EXCELLENT job in letting me know the progress of the order!) and, well, I'm just a bit confused- the instructions are, of course, in perfect Japanesse. Too bad my perfect Japanese is IMPERFECT to say the least... The kit is well packed, and features some SIGNIFIGANT changes off the original kits of yesteryear. BASE PLATES: They're just about the only thing that is the same from the original SpaceWarp kits- same 9x3 support post layouts, but thsi time they're better fit to be snug. Several connector brackets have been included to holdthe baseplates together and to prevent them from popping apart during transport/construction. COLUMNS: Also unchanged, but they feel a bit lighter than what I remember them to be a few yars ago... RAILS: Same soft and pliable plastic, but this time through they're sent as two separate track rails instead of one long bundle of rail. NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE A METRIC RULER/MEASURING TAPE TO BEGIN TO CUT RAIL! SUPPORTS: Here's where one of the biggest changes has occured. Instead of grabbing onto the column like a pressure clamp, you now have a multi piece assembly which 'locks' onto the column tightly- no more slipping down if they'res an intricate element or a loose part. Very cool indeed. CROSSBARS: Where the original had several of those odd shaped crossbars throughout the layout, now the structure has only a few black plastic crossbars for bracing. TIES: Also changed a bit, they're much smaller but fit very nicely on the rails as before. There are fewer of them, but still more than enough for several large projects to be built. LIFT SYSTEM: Also a radical redesgin, the battery pack and motor assembly are now one solid piece built together to create a lift hill. No more re-wiring of the battery to the motor to fail! The lift assembly is also re-designed to build a better mousetrap- better lift clamping and tighter tolerances than the original. CARS: No change here. Same ol' single car operation. BONUS ITEMS: The only real change here is that in the 10000 series there is an odd pendulum item which actually 'blocks' out the 'cars' before sending them down an S&S Flyswatter type mechanism. I'm not too sure if I'm going to keep that in the final design. BLUEPRINTS/PLANS: O.K. Here's the challenging part. The layout has gone some redesgns off the original, including far more crossovers and crosstrack segments. A quadruple looping element is arranged at one end of the ride whereas a single looping element is arranged at the other end. A very large funnel helix is also at one end and several single drop helices have been built as well. The most interesting part of these plans are the fact that the Blueprints are almost ENTIRELY IN JAPANESE. However, they're very well illustrated and very conplete with plenty of confusing layouts and diagrams. Well, here goes everything. I'll be posting updates for construction and testing over the next few days/weeks depending on how well construction goes and how long it takes. Pictures will be posted if I'm able to land a good digital camera soon- hopefully for my other birthday present! R.D.

Where's the fun if there's no blackout strength Gs? Isn't that part of the experience? Herr Schwartzkopf would disagree!

I can't belive I'm reading this- Coaster enthusiasts bashing a new ride installation. I think EVERYBODY HERE would be happy to see another Beemer in a park. Especially a ride with a few new concepts on it. This is absolutely shocking to me to see people go competely insane about how much they hate the design, hate the 'cloning' etc. for a ride that hasn't even opened yet. This is shameful to say the least. Instead of complaining that it's a clone (Which, in all reality it isn't, as the design is modified over SheikRa's design in many ways) let's celebrate the fact that this ride is not only spectacular in it's concept, but that a park which has had an eight year drought of serious trackage. It is well known that Busch Entertainment co. uses similar architects to design the basics of a ride based upon terrain availability (I.E. space available, hills/valleys, existing rides, etc.) and then uses B&M to finish out the design to fufil basic requirements of the ride's nature. Knowing this, we can safely assume that rides will be similar in layout, elements etc. but still unique to how each ride is designed and built. If you look at the basic layout of Drachen Fire and Kumba, for example, they have very similar structural detail (Look at the lift hills, for blessed sake!) and have similar elements (yes, Kumba had an Immelman, and Drachen Fire had the Corkwinder) but they both featured a Batwing/Cobra Roll and at least two corkscrews (Yes, Drachen Fire had one removed.) Evne the colors were similar (Both had Electric Blue track, and whereas the trains were red on DF, Kumba's structure was red.) This is a trend which is not going to stop, folks- BEC is going to use what they know works and works well to keep people happy at all the parks, no matter which one they're building a new ride at. Instead of whining over a particula ride's features, etc. let's be sane about this and say 'GREAT RIDE!

Did something happen to Canyon Blaster since I was last there in May? I've never heard such bashing in my life about it- I know they'd done some stress crack repairs, but those should not have any effect on the actual ride performance. I've always found that Canyon Blaster is a good solid Arrow- yes, it can get a little choppy in some parts, but I've never found the 'screw to be rough at all- and I've logged quite a few rides on it since 1995. Or is it me? Have I become too numb to the roughness?

When I was at HP earlier this summer I noticed a bit of 'rattle and creak' esp. coming from the mid course trim station down to the banked curve into the helix- but then again, I always remember hearing those sounds on every ride. It was my very first HersheyPark ride in 1991- and it was amazing to go on for my first Schwartzkopf credit- for me it will be a classic coaster forever- and still one that attracts families to this day...

Nuts. I was hoping for 'reduced pain' TOGO Death Machine- but if these reviews are correct, I'll take a pass on it- I'm going to be in Vegas in early Oct. for an early birthday present. Oh well, I'll stick to the Canyon Blaster- still a good ride under the dome!

Terribly tragic indeed. What in hades is wrong with these parks? Schwartzkopf rides are some of the best desgined in the world- let alone of any class out there. Schwartzkopf built his rides to LAST. And yes, it's not the most terror-inspiring rides on the planet, but it suits a great need for such types of rides in any given park. Yes, I love a good solid thrill monster like Griffon or Storm Runner, but a good mid-size ride is also nice to have at one's disposal. Loch Ness Monster isn't the biggest, nor the fastest, but it's still a great ride. ShockWave (Texas) is a mid-sized ride that packs quite a punch. Perhaps some entrepneur will get wise and start buying up these gems and building a retirement home for coasters such as Black Hole, LightningBolt (MGM Grand Adventures, LVNV) etc. There's a lot of open space out there near Phoenix, and it's good weather for steel rides...

I need Gs. Having a forceless coaster in some ways eradicates the actual definition of a ride- a device which uses changes in speed direction and force to create a thrilling effect. To have a forecless coaster defeats the purpose. I am one who loves to be forced- quite literally- as hard and as tight as possible. Schwartzkopf got it right in his rides- Gs, Gs, Gs. That for me is a real expression of masterful engineering when you're near blackout strength inversions ore helices.

It looks pretty cool to me- something that would be good for any backyard, provided there's a mountain in it.

IAD-IAH-YEG: 404.00 I think I still have a few sick days left, and, well, it's getting pretty boring round here....

Wow. If I only had the land... I have very fond memories of riding Lightning Bolt as an Indoor Intamin and an outdoor Arrow/Intamin- those trains are still some of my favourite types out there. Nothign quite like the push-pull effect of the first drop into the figure eight movement, or the catapult over the lift hill element. I still remember the 'Disneyesque themeing' of the indoor model- complete with space station colours and 'retro space mod' styling. And that cool little model of Vegas as the train headed into the brake run and onto the transfer track- very fun indeed for a junior coaster model. It was my first Vegas Coaster- and it is sadly missed!!!! HEY HARRAH'S/ RIO. Good thing to keep the kids amused while Mom and Dad are spending their college tuition!!!!

Robb said it best- I'm a Vekoma fan on this one- Whereas S:UF has a very smooth and fluid layout, and Air is just that, a Vekoma is a real powertrip ride- very intense, very cool and the rollovers towards the end are great as well. A long, PozG heilx is included in the mix, followed by the "CCCRRRAAAAKKKK" braking system that can only say "You're on a Vekoma" I'm still waiting for BGE to go for the brass ring on this one- perhaps a little creative layout within the Festa Italia area combined with the Chariot's ravine could create one great flyer- terrain plus deep drops and some good solid powercurves might make for a great ride.

IN all reailty, I could go either way on this one. For me, nothing is quite as thrilling as a long, steady, slow, clanking climb up a lift hill, with the smell of coastergrease and ratchets clanking in the background. That for me is one great pleasure of riding on a nice conventional rollercoaster. But then again, I also love the instant gratification of a launch coaster such as the Premier bowl coasters- getting shot at light speed out of a cannon into convoluted PozG heaven- that's also quite a rush. And who could ever deny a ride like Volcano:TBC being anything other that sheer terror getting blasted into darkness twice then thrown upside down at high speed and high elevation? Unless miracles come in the form of a catapult lift hill, then we're going to have the two (Or mabye three) types of acceleration systems. Then there's the third option: California Screamin. While LIM powered, the lifts are both steep, long and (although the first lift is a bit fast) give the feeling of being both conventional and LIM at the same time. Perhaps designers will take this as a bit of a hint for future rides.

OHHHHHHHH WALTER!!!!! Amazing. Incredible. Outstanding. A must have. Ginormous. Tantalizing. Way to hit it out of the park again, BGE.

I'm very fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit due to my career path- and that's something that has allowed me to get to some of the more 'obscure' parks (DollyWood, Castles and Coasters, etc.) that are off the beaten path. I will say this, I do have an advantage of sorts over most GP and enthusiasts- I have MS which makes standing for long periods almost impossible not to mention walking long distances. Many parks give a 'entry pass' to the less-than-able guests, and I qualify, which means if I only have a few hours to spend in a particular park, I can nail down the key rides very quickly (well, at least as fast as I can walk or roll depending on the trip.) Jet Commuting isn't for everybody- I've been doing it for five years, but I've been able to rack up enough Frequent Flyer milage to allow for a few exotic trips in the next year or so, including a long-awaited Asain/Austrailian tour. It does take it's toll on you especially one's personal life and structure- I'd love to be able to settle down someday... But for me to have SFMM, KBF, Las Vegas and Disney an hour by air is great- plus having all the great Mid Atlantic parks three hrs or less away even better- so when the weather goes south, I go west!

I remember that ACE had an article in RC! magazine that featured a SpaceWarp that covered pretty much an entire house- through the kitchen, down a hall, and a massive section in the middle of the living room. Let me tell you it made my four coasters look pretty puny in respect, but I will say this- I did figure out certain ways to create more unique rides (In my dorm room sophmore year, I used several kits and some very unique ways to build a ride not entirely like the Hoosier Hurricane over my desk and bed- stilts still work quite well when building a ride- esp. one that requires a narrow, high base. Right now I've just acquired a large cork bulletin board to mount the base on for future 'expanded' projects- plus I'm planning on building my spare garage room at home in AZ to become a SpaceWarp room.